The present invention relates to a vehicle fuel cell supporting apparatus and method, and more particularly to a vehicle fuel cell supporting apparatus and method directed at improving the sealing of the fuel cell.
In recent years, there has been an investigation of causing an electrochemical reaction between a hydrogen-containing gas which is hydrogen-rich and an oxygen-containing gas and in the presence of a catalyst so as to use the electrical power generated in such a manner as a power supply for driving a vehicle.
In the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication H5-82157, there is a proposal of technology whereby a displaceable upper support plate and a spring mechanism are provided so as to restrain a fuel cell, thereby preventing a deterioration of the sealing of the fuel cell by vibration due to startup, stopping, and driving of the vehicle.
However, according to an investigation by the inventor, in the case in which such a fuel cell system is used as a mobile power supply, compared with the case of a fixed installation, such as in a chemical plant, additional consideration is required with regard to the following points.
First, more consideration must be given to safety.
Specifically, because a fuel cell uses a hydrogen-rich hydrogen-containing gas as a reactive gas, it is desirable to improve the sealing of the fuel cell during driving of the vehicle or the like. Further, if leakage of an electrolyte within the cell stack occurs, the performance of the fuel cell will decrease. Therefore, it is preferable from such a standpoint as well to improve the sealing of the fuel cell.
Secondly, consideration must be given to vibration toughness as well.
Specifically, in the case in which a fuel cell is used as a mobile power supply mounted in a vehicle, because startup, acceleration, running, deceleration, stopping or the like of the vehicle occur with great frequency, that is, because swaying and vibration are frequently generated by these events, there is a repeated load and impact load applied to the fuel cell. For this reason, if the vibration toughness is insufficient, spaces can develop in various parts of the fuel cell, and particularly between unit cells and spacers which make up the cell stack, and a shock can be applied to the separators, which are made of carbon and susceptible to the impact load.
Besides, in the case in which a fuel cell is mounted in a vehicle, among the inputs applied to the fuel cell, a large and frequent one corresponds to an acceleration that acts in the forward direction of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is suddenly braked, or when the vehicle experiences a front-end collision. For this reason, to improve the sealing of the fuel cell, it is thought to be necessary to consider the supporting structure of the fuel cell in the forward direction more than in other directions of the vehicle.
However, in supporting structures of fuel cells in the past, there were no specific proposals with regard to such a point.
Specifically, in mounting a fuel cell in a vehicle, the situation is one in which there is a desire for a configuration in which sufficient consideration is given to improving the sealing in the fuel cell, and reducing the space that occurs between unit cells and separators making up the fuel cell, even in the case of sudden braking or the case of a front-end collision.
Accordingly, the present invention was made after the above-noted investigation and has an object to provide a vehicle fuel cell supporting apparatus that can effectively improve the sealing of the fuel cell and reduce the space that occurs between unit cells and separators making up the fuel cell, even in the case of sudden braking or the case of a front-end collision.
A vehicle fuel cell supporting apparatus according to the present invention supports a fuel cell of a vehicle, the fuel cell being formed by a plurality of unit cells, each of which is provided with an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte film, and is laminated together with a separator intervening therebetween in a forward and rearward direction of the vehicle, and comprises: a first supporting member blocking relative movement, in a forward direction of the vehicle, of the cell element located at the front most position of the fuel cell with respect to the vehicle.
On other wards, according to the present invention, a vehicle fuel cell comprise: a plurality of unit cells, each of which is provided with an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte film, and is laminated together with a separator intervening therebetween in a forward and rearward direction of the vehicle; and means for blocking relative movement, in a forward direction of the vehicle, of the cell element located at the front most position of the fuel cell with respect to the vehicle.
Besides, according to the present invention, a vehicle fuel cell supporting method supporting a fuel cell of a vehicle, the fuel cell being formed by a plurality of unit cells, each of which is provided with an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte film, and is laminated together with a separator intervening therebetween in a forward and rearward direction of the vehicle, comprises: blocking relative movement, in a forward direction of the vehicle, of the cell element located at the front most position of the fuel cell with respect to the vehicle.